Aotea

/ɑːoʊˈteɪə/ noun

Definition

In Māori mythology and Polynesian navigation, a name or concept relating to distant lands or the legendary homeland of Hawaiki.

Etymology

From Māori language, possibly combining elements meaning 'long' and 'white' or relating to legendary ancestral lands. This term is rooted in Polynesian oral traditions and navigational knowledge passed down through generations.

Kelly Says

Aotea connects to one of history's greatest mysteries—how ancient Polynesians found and settled isolated Pacific islands using only stars, ocean swells, and oral maps, and the legendary journeys that explain their dispersal across the ocean.

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